Technical people identify with the tools and the jargon of their trade. Web developers may have Ruby on Rails and Python. Farmers have their combine or pickup truck. Engineering students used to carry either an HP or a Texas Instruments calculator, and today might use MATLAB and other modeling software. The tools themselves both enable the work being done, but they also set boundaries for what can be done.
I am very much in the technical community with my own tools.
But more importantly, what I bring is curiosity, an engineering mindset, and business acumen. When built correctly, the solutions we develop have massive power to both create value and do good in the world. Doing this right requires a passion and agility to guide people through change.
When a team has a dedicated product manager, they facilitate the conversations to tease out clear requirements from complexity and chaos. They know that each of us has our own real perspectives and cognitive burdens, as well as tools. When I was the product manager on the 4WD tractor team, a great deal of interaction was required to choose (and later market) the advantages in simplicity of using DEF fluid with SCR versus other diesel power systems. Years later, it was the same in building the business case for a new CVT transmission.
Reflecting today on where we were most successful, it was in situations where the connections with the mission were fostered and obstacles removed. We trust the people that share our values, and if we articulate authentically what our motivations are, we realize our goals.
Today, data and algorithms are the fuel for driving digital solutions, shaping branded user experiences in a much more intimate way. Smart search and chat enabled mobile apps are going to be everywhere. Open source tool stacks have proliferated, lowering the bar in a way that many more can be builders of some kind, whether a data scientist or an engineer, from anywhere in the world.
Clear, concise communications and story telling are more important than ever to build trust, with the discipline and consistency of agile practices. Good tools, like my trusty Texas Instruments calculator, can be learned quickly.
